The way tablets are changing how we work and live.

We all know tablets are quickly becoming a valuable resource in this mobile-driven world. What I find amazing is all the different applications and uses that are emerging for this technology.

Mashable recently posted this article about how tablets are changing the way we search and discover the web. Browsing is becoming an interactive experience, much more than simply putting words in a text box and hitting enter. With the tablet, you really are in the internet and engaged.

But that’s not all the tablet is changing about our lives.

British Airways has issued tablets to all of their flight crews in order to enhance their passengers’ experience. The article explains how they use the mobile technology to keep track of who is traveling with whom, any food allergies as well as Executive Club status and previous flight history. The tablets also give flight attendants the ability to submit customer issues with ground crews before take off, so personnel at the destination airport can come up with a solution while the plane is in route.

United Airlines, Delta and Alaska Air are also taking off with tablets. They arecompletely replacing those heavy flight manuals pilots were required to carry with iPads. Talk about efficient!That means these pilots are trading a 12,000 page document weighing a staggering 38 pounds (on average) with a 1.5lb tablet.

In the medical industry, doctors are using iPads and tablets to access medical records, show patients x-rays and explain complicated procedures to their patients.

The education sector is also embracing tablets to enhance and improve productivity. Apple has reported over 600 school districts across the country have begun the shift from bound textbooks to digital books, giving each student an iPad to use while school is in session. Some schools have even gifted the devices to the student entirely!

Here at Pierpont, all of our executive team – and even some other staff members – use iPads to take notes at meetings, record conference calls, check email and scan the latest industry news.

It’s hard to believe that these devices were originally marketed to non-professionals for simple gaming and web browsing. And now more industries are depending on this technology to help people do their jobs safely and more effectively. The tablet market is projected to grow by $35 billion by the end of 2012. Here are some industries and professions that could benefit from the use of tablets in the next few years.

• Restaurants: Eliminating the pads and pens allow servers to speed up the order-taking process by automatically submitting orders to the kitchen. This can also increase order accuracy, and alert the kitchen of any allergies a guest may have.

• Law Enforcement: You’ve seen it. Every police cruiser is equipped with a laptop, stand and other devices allowing the officer to work from their car. Why not replace all that with a tablet and cut the clutter? Officers could file paperwork, check license plate numbers and keep track of local traffic conditions, all from the comfort of the patrol car.

• Retail: By using tablets, retail employees can instantly check inventory for customers without having to search through the mysterious back room or wait for an available computer register. Even further, if they are out of the product you need, they could then have the ability to order it for you, without ever leaving your side.

How do you use your tablet for work? What are ways you’ve seen others use new technology to be more productive and efficient in the workplace?